WRITING TIP OF THE DAY

Tax laws change from time-to-time, and state laws vary from state-to-state,

so be sure you know is expected from you in your home state.

SPEAKING TIP OF THE DAY

When speaking, stand tall, plant your feet a few inches apart,

and maintain a good posture throughout your talk.

NY TIMES CHRISTIAN BEST SELLERS

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #1 in Relationships and #3 in Advice, How-To & Misc.

THE WAIT by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good with Tim Vandehey (Howard Books) is #2 in Relationships; #2 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith

FERVENT by Priscilla Shirer (B&H) is #4 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith; is #13 in Advice, How-To & Misc.

THE WEDDING DRESS by Rachel Hauck (Thomas Nelson) is #5 in E-Book Fiction; #7 in Combined Print & E-Book Fiction.

AMERICA'S ORIGINAL SIN by Jim Wallis (Brazos Press) is #6 in Race & Civil Rights.

FRESH START by Joel Osteen (FaithWords) is #7 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

IMAGINE HEAVEN by John Burke (Baker Books) is #9 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

 

PROMOTING A NEW BOOK - 2

1. Limit giving out freebies to launch week only.

2. Send out an e-mail that includes an excerpt from the book. Tell them you want them to buy today and offer the freebies as a reward if they do.

3. Give away something to get them to sign up for your newsletter. Put a subscription box on every page of your Website.

4. Include a quiz to help generate interest.

5. If you have other published books, offer one for 99 cents for just one day.

BLOG

1. Run a contest with random drawings. Have giveaways for prizes (not physical stuff); better to do giveaways of time--such as a consultation or evaluating a chapter, etc.

2 Talk to your "tribe." Let them know what you're doing, What chapter your working on on the next book. What your main characters are up to between books. Anything to keep them engaged.

3. Allow Facebook comments.

4. Include excerpts from your new book.

PROMOTING THAT NEW BOOK

I recently ran across some notes I took in a class on promoting a book. Looked like some good information, so thought I'd pass along a few of those notes in hopes it will be helpful to some of you.

1. The average shelf life of a newly published Christian book is 3 months. For a  secular book it is
    only 3 weeks. Indie book have a longer life.

2. Most books sell fewer than 500 copies; 5,000 copies is considered good sales.

3. You want people to buy your book on the day it launches.

4. Offer a free subscription to daily calendar tips for writers or speakers.

5. Send out an e-mail announcement of your book launch, but don't wait to start there. You need to be building an e-list and building momentum toward the launch date.

6. Let your tribe know when the book will be out.

7. Develop an e-zine related to the topic of your book and charge for it.

8. Any free give-aways need to be electronic--not paper.

9. Website: Brightest back on the home page. Put subscription box in top, right-hand corner where it will stand out.

10. At the bottom include a statement, such as: "I promise I will protect your privacy and will not give or sell your information to anyone." Ask only for a first name and e-mail address.

11. Mail Chimp will send out the first 2,000 e-mail for free.

12. Give them a place to check-off what they want from you: "Sign up to get a new book alert," "Sign up for a writing tip," or "Sign up for a speaking tip."

13. Make them an offer they can't refuse, such as a few e-book just for signing up.

MORE TO COME.

SAMPLE COPIES

Some periodicals will send you one or more sample copies if you request them with an SASE with enough postage for the return (a few will ask for payment). Other publishers have whole issues or at least several sample articles available on their Website. In those cases, they may prefer that you study those. Some publishers will have a place on their Website to order sample copies. If there is nothing said on a Website about sample copies, you could write and ask for several copies (6 would be ideal) and volunteer to pay for them. Many writers' conferences also offer freebie tables where you can pick up sample copies for free. Read the samples cover to cover to begin recognizing the style, focus, target audience, etc. Take notes to add to their guidelines to remind you of any information you gleaned from the reading. It's a good idea to go back and read the sample copy(s) and the writers' guidelines before you start writing a piece for any one of the publications. Store your sample copies in boxes alphabetically by title so they are easily accessible. For access to sample copies for a good number of periodicals, go to: http://www.writing-world.com/basics/samples.shtml.

NY TIMES CHRISTIAN BEST SELLERS

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #1 in Relationships and #4 in Advice, How-To & Misc.

THE WAIT by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good with Tim Vandehey (Howard Books) is #2 in Relationships; #2 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith

FERVENT by Priscilla Shirer (B&H) is #4 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith; is #14 in Advice, How-To & Misc.

THE WEDDING DRESS by Rachel Hauck (Thomas Nelson) is #6 in E-Book Fiction; #12 in Combined Print & E-Book Fiction.

AMERICA'S ORIGINAL SIN by Jim Wallis (Brazos Press) is #6 in Race & Civil Rights.

FRESH START by Joel Osteen (FaithWords) is #7 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

IMAGINE HEAVEN by John Burke (Baker Books) is #9 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

REJECTION SLIPS

Usually a printed form sent to inform you that your manuscript has been rejected. Rejections slips are always a regular part of attempting to write for publication. Don't let them discourage you. You must learn to detach yourself emotionally from your writing. If a manuscript is rejected, send it on to a new publisher as soon as possible. Remember, no matter how many times you don't succeed, you are not a failure: failure is an event, not a person. If you continue to be rejected, it is worthwhile to pay a professional editor to edit a manuscript for you and tell you where you can improve. Also keep in mind that the better-paying the market, the greater your chances of rejection. The competition for those publications is fierce; you are competing with the best writers in the business. Rejection slips rarely include any specific comments from the editor, so if you get a positive comment, consider it an encouragement to keep submitting. However, if they make suggestions for changes, don't make the changes and resubmit it unless the editor specifically asks you to. For tips on dealing with rejections slips, go to: http://www.wikihow.com/Handle-Rejection-Slips.

2016 SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE

When:  Friday-Saturday, June 17-18, 2016

Where: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Keynote Speakers:

1) Lurlene McDaniel, author of more than 70 books and one of today’s most popular and respected writers of novels for teenagers

  2) Patricia Sprinkle, author of 37 books and one of America’s most prolific Christian novelists

As usual, we will have an excellent lineup of informative and inspirational editors, publishers, agents, and writers who will cover a wide variety of topics.

         You can get information at our website at http://www.scwconference.com/SCWConference.com/

A newsletter will be mailed in early May giving details of the workshop.

Please send us news of your publications in the last year for the newsletter. The deadline is April 1. You can e-mail it to us at SCWCworkshop@bellsouth.net

We look forward to seeing many of you at the SCWC’s 25th annual workshop!

Southern Christian Writers Conference


website: 
http://www.scwconference.com/SCWConference.com/Southern_Christian_Writers_Conference.html
email: scwcworkshop@bellsouth.net

"Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord." — Psalm 102:18

QUOTE ROUNDUP

Quote roundup. Basing an article on about two dozen quotes from a group of people who have something in common, or something to say on a specific topic. It could be quotes from historically famous people, celebrities, or simply people with some topic in common. It could be based on a simple statement/question, such as, “I know my child will be ready to date when . . . .” Of course, the risk is that the people you choose to quote may not have anything interesting or helpful to say—or they don't say it in an interesting way, and since these are meant to be quotes, you can't rewrite their comments. It will be your job to draw out the details that will add interest to what they have to say. If what they say brings up questions in your mind, you can be sure your readers will want answers to the same questions.

When selecting a question for your survey, you need to either have an assignment from a specific magazine, or at least have a target magazine in mind. The question, then, must fit the demographic and interest of that particular publication.

 

NY TIMES CHRISTIAN BEST SELLERS

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #1 in Relationships and #5 in Advice, How-To & Misc.

THE WAIT by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good with Tim Vandehey (Howard Books) is #2 in Relationships; #2 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith; #11 in Advice, How-To & Misc.

THE WEDDING DRESS by Rachel Hauck (Thomas Nelson) is #2 in E-Book Fiction; #5 in Combined Print & E-Book Fiction.

FERVENT by Priscilla Shirer (B&H) is #4 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith; is #12 in Advice, How-To & Misc.

AMERICA'S ORIGINAL SIN by Jim Wallis (Brazos Press) is #6 in Race & Civil Rights.

FRESH START by Joel Osteen (FaithWords) is #7 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

IMAGINE HEAVEN by John Burke (Baker Books) is #9 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

 

NY TIMES CHRISTIAN BEST SELLERS

• THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #1 in Relationships and #5 in Advice, How-To & Misc.
• THE WAIT by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good with Tim Vandehey (Howard Books) is #2 in Relationships; #2 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith; #11 in Advice, How-To & Misc.
• THE WEDDING DRESS by Rachel Hauck (Thomas Nelson) is #2 in E-Book Fiction; #6 in Combined Print & E-Book Fiction.
• FERVENT by Priscilla Shirer (B&H) is #4 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith; is #12 in Advice, How-To & Misc.
• AMERICA'S ORIGINAL SIN by Jim Wallis (Brazos Press) is #6 in Race & Civil Rights.
• FRESH START by Joel Osteen (FaithWords) is #7 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.
• IMAGINE HEAVEN by John Burke (Baker Books) is #9 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

 

COLORING BOOKS HIT MARKET

Starting with March 2016, the ECPA Christian Bestsellers will include coloring books in its Top 25 list, reflecting monthly sales as reported by Nielsen across multiple channels.  The following adult coloring books have made the top 25 bestsellers for March 2016:

• WHATEVER IS LOVELY (WaterBrook Press) is #2
• THE PROMISES OF GOD (Pasio/Charisma House) is #8
• INSPIRING WORDS (Zondervan) is #9
• JOYFUL HEARTS (Broadstreet) is #19

USING A PEN NAME

Using a name other than your legal name on an article or book in order to protect your identity or the identity of people included, or when the author wishes to remain anonymous. When submitting your manuscript, put the pen name in the byline under the title, and your real name in the upper, left-hand corner along with your address. If they purchase the manuscript, they will make the check out to the name in the left-hand corner, and the name under the title will be listed as the author when the piece is printed. It's always a good idea to include a cover letter with the submission explaining the reason for the pen name. Publishers generally honor your request to use the pen name, although a few refuse on ethical grounds.

There are a number of different reasons for using a pen name: (1) If the subject matter is of a sensitive nature and you want to remain anonymous, or need to protect the identity of family or friends involved. (2) If you sell a lot of manuscripts to one publisher, they may want you to use a pen name on some of them so it doesn't look like too much of their content is written by the same person. (3) If you are writing in more than one genre and you want to avoid confusion among your readers as you switch from one to another. Or, (4) if you are a man writing in a predominately women's field, or a woman writing in a man's market. (5) If you have a strange name or one difficult to spell or pronounce.

Generally, you will want to use your own name as you build your reputation as a writer in relation to your topic, so only use one if there is a good reason to do so. For tips on how to choose an appropriate pen name, go to: http://www.writing-world.com/business/pen.shtml.

AND THE AUTHOR SAID . . .

“If I had a whole day, I would write for an hour and then be completely exhausted. I would actually fall asleep on the floor of my studio for twenty minutes to half an hour. I’d reach some sort of an impasse, a psychic impasse, where I just couldn’t move forward in the writing. I would sleep and I would have a dream, and in the dream I would figure out where to go in the writing. Then I would wake up and start writing from that point. It was really this sort of accessing of the unconscious in some way. I would write for another hour and then I would fall asleep again, it would just keep happening. I’d do that maybe four times over one day. That part was an excavation.”
—Nick Flynn

OPTION CLAUSE

A book-contract clause that indicates that you must give this publisher an option to buy your next book before you submit it elsewhere. When your next book is ready to submit for publication, it must go first to your original publisher. The clause should also indicate how long they have to decide whether or not they want to publish the next book. That time frame is usually somewhere between 30 and 90 days (try to keep it at no more than 30 days). Where an option clause can become a problem is when it indicates that if the original publisher turns it down—but you then find another publisher interested in buying it—you must then take it back to the original publisher and give them another chance to accept it before you can accept the second offer. Another problem with this clause is that the author must offer the book to the publisher—but the publisher is not obligated to buy it. For many years this clause was omitted from most book contracts because it was not considered fair to the author. However, in the last few years it has been working its way back into many book contracts. Although the author can ask for it to be removed—and many do—many publishers will refuse to do so. If the publisher refuses to remove it, be sure that it indicates that the next book (if accepted) will be published on terms to be negotiated—not on the same terms as the current one. You also want this clause to indicate that the publisher will make a decision based on a book proposal—not on a completed manuscript. Also, you want to be free to accept an offer from another publisher—even if these terms are worse than what the original publisher offers. In most cases you would not accept the lesser offer, unless you have a reason—such as believing the new publisher will do a better job of promotion.

From the publisher's point of view, they believe that you owe them a certain amount of loyalty because they made the investment in your previous book—and if the first book does well in the marketplace, there may not be any reason to switch publishers. Some authors stay with the same publisher for their entire writing career. For a perspective on dealing with multiple option clauses, go to: http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2010/09/options-options-options.html.

NT TIMES CHRISTIAN BESTSELLERS

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #1 in Relationships and #4 in Advice, How-To & Misc.

FERVENT by Priscilla Shirer (B&H) is #3 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES OF CHILDREN by Gary D. Chapman and Ross Campbell (Northfield) is #4 in Family and #7 in Relationships.

IMAGINE HEAVEN by John Burke (Baker Books) is #4 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

AMERICA'S ORIGINAL SIN by Jim Wallis (Brazos Press) is #5 in Race and Civil Rights.

THE POWER OF I AM by Joel Osteen (FaithWords) is #5 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

FRESH START by Joel Osteen (FaithWords) is #8 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

THE WEDDING DRESS by Rachel Hauck (Thomas Nelson) is #9 in E-Book Fiction.

YOU AND ME FOREVER by Francis Chan and Lisa Chan (Claire Love Publishing) is #10 in Relationships.

THE WAIT by DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good with Tim Vandehey (Howard Books) is #11 in Advice, How-To & Misc.